Mental health issues touch us all

Newmarket Era

In May, the Mental Health Commission of Canada unveiled our country’s first-ever national mental health strategy. With experts estimating that one in five Canadians will suffer from mental health issues this year, Changing Directions, Changing Lives: The Mental Health Strategy for Canada is a much-needed “blueprint” for improving the mental health and well-being of people across the country.
“We define ourselves as Canadians in terms of our health system; our national identity is wrapped up in it. Yet we were lagging behind other countries with regard to creating a mental health system that meets the needs of people,” says Dr. David Goldbloom, chair of the Mental Health Commission. “We have pockets of excellence scattered all over the country, but in terms of a coherent national approach, what we have goes nowhere near what we need.”
The child and adolescent eating disorder program at Southlake Regional Health Centre in Newmarket is one such pocket of excellence. The hospital is recognized nationally for the successful treatment of teens suffering from severe eating disorders and in 1997 was designated by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care as the site of a regional eating disorder program serving Ontario’s central east region.
When drafting the strategy, the commission sought the input of thousands of Canadians, including health leaders such as Southlake, to build on national (and international) best practices and current initiatives. The final document contains over 100 recommendations, organized into six areas of focus including promotion of mental health in homes, schools and workplaces, and ensuring people have access to the services, treatments and supports they need, where and when they need them. Other strategic directions emphasize recovery and rights, reducing disparities in risk factors and access to services, working with Aboriginal communities to address their unique needs and mobilizing leaders to improve knowledge and foster collaboration.
“I truly admire the work of the commission in pulling together a strategy that helps drive a mental health system to be more comprehensive—promoting mental health for people of all ages, supporting those at potential risk, intervening early and focussing on recovery,” says Jody Levac, director of mental health at Southlake.
Mental health organizations and agencies have also commended the strategy. In a statement on its website (cmha.ca) the Canadian Mental Health Association, which provides direct service to more than 100,000 people in 120 communities across the country each year, called it “a celebratory milestone” for Canadians living with mental health issues and those working to support them.
Marie Lauzier is the executive director of York Support Services Network (YSSN), a not-for-profit community agency in York Region that offers a range of case management and community crisis response services in support of people with developmental disabilities or serious mental illness. She says one of the strategy’s strengths is that it recognizes there is a real breadth to what people with mental health issues need and that mental health is not just about health services.
“This is an amazing piece of work and a lot of heart went into it,” Ms Lauzier says. “It’s the result of a lot of people working together and a lot of people having a voice. On the ground, people know they were heard.”
According to 2011 census data, York Region had the fastest growing population of any region in Ontario, at 15.7 per cent, which means demand for mental health supports and services in the area will continue to increase. Annually, YSSN provides case management to about 1,000 people. Another 12,000 to 14,000 call the organization’s crisis line each year.
Need and demand for mental health services at Southlake also continue to rise—by 19 per cent for children and adolescents and five per cent for adults last year. This year, Southlake’s mental health team expects to treat 118,400 patients, including more than 4,000 people arriving at the emergency department in need of assistance and 96,800 on an outpatient basis.
Another important factor is funding. The commission is calling for increased mental health spending, citing a $50 billion annual cost to the Canadian economy associated with mental illnesses, which could be mitigated through targeted investments in mental health supports and services.
With the strategy launched at the mid-point of its 10-year mandate, Dr. Goldbloom says the commission will focus on its implementation by continuing to promote knowledge exchange and building key partnerships with governments, service providers, community leaders and individuals and families living with mental health issues.
Reducing stigma remains a priority. Experts say that while about 7 million people in Canada live with mental health illnesses, as many as 30 per cent will suffer in silence rather than seek help because they fear discrimination.
“Silence is a person’s worst enemy and creating an environment that helps promote open discussion remains a challenge,” Mr. Levac says.
Dr. Goldbloom stresses that improving our mental health system by getting involved, speaking up and working to reduce stigma and fear is, in some measure, every Canadian’s responsibility, because mental health issues impact us all.
“Attitudes and behaviours have to change towards people with mental health issues and they can change,” Dr. Goldbloom says. “This is not about some other person, this is about somebody you care about and that you know.”

Changing Directions, Changing Lives: The Mental Health Strategy for Canada is available for download at strategy.mentalcommission.ca.
Open Minds, Healthy Minds is Ontario’s long-term mental health and addictions strategy. Released in June 2011, the first three years of the strategy are focusing on early intervention and support for children and youth at risk for mental illnesses and addictions. Learn more at health.gov.on.ca.